East Hill Park (Kent)

East Hill Park
10920 SE 248th St
Kent, WA 98030

Just west of Morrill Meadows Park — seriously, just about 1/2 a block — is the smaller (4.62 acres) East Hill Park.  This was our first visit to this park.  I had attempted to visit here previously, drove right past it, and ended up at Morrill Meadows.

WHY WE LOVE THIS PARK:
It’s play structure is a bit more accommodating than the one next door.  There are 3 slides: a tube slide, a twisty slide and a short toddler slide.  A couple of stairways up — one steeper and more ladder-like than typical stairs.

Bring some sand toys: buckets, shovels and trucks.  There’s a rocky sand pit, complete with a built-in digger.

For picnic lovers, there’s a perfect spot under a big tree (maybe Oak?  I’m not very good at identifying trees. . . but it’s NOT a pine).  It overlooks the nearby play structure from a grassy perch above a retaining wall.  The park’s small area is great for sitting and relaxing while letting your kids run off the extra energy.

For sports lovers, there’s a tennis court and basketball hoops.

 

DRAWBACKS:
The first thing I noted about this park is that the parking area is very small.  Only 7 spots.  (After exploring a bit, there is overflow parking available at Kent United Methodist Church next door to the west.)

My second negative observation was the drainage ditch located within a few feet of the play area.  It’s not terribly deep, or terribly steep, just mucky.  We were there a few days after a rain and despite the sun being out for a couple of days, the surrounding, shallower area were surprisingly swampy.  It’s Washington: it’s gonna be a bit muddy, but I’m more for a rain garden that will help keep kids out of drainage areas and add to the aesthetics.

Lastly, no swings.

RESTROOMS:
The restrooms are average.  Attached to the picnic shelter, they are clean, regularly maintained.  A changing table is available in the Women’s restrooms.

DOG OWNERS:
We ran into a lot of you at this park.  Mostly just in the parking lot.  While dogs are welcome on leashes and there is a doggie waste station located at East Hill Park, all the owners were walking the short distance to neighboring Morrill Meadows Off-Leash Dog Park: 3.5 acres dedicated to our furry friends.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
We visited East Hill and Morrill Meadows on the same day.  East Hill was our first stop and we had the park to ourselves.  It was quiet and serene.

But just next door, Morrill Meadows was busy with activity.  People were on lunch breaks, children were running amok, Mamas sat on blankets with their babies, others strolled along the park trails.

So, I make the assumption the East Hill may be a bit of a black sheep, possibly attracting an older, unsupervised crowd when school’s out.  I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but something to be aware of when your choosing park destinations.

This visit also made me realize, it will probably be a good idea to visit these parks at other days and times.  Our park exploring is usually done while Dad’s at work and my oldest in school: 10am-3pm (ish).  Atmospheres and ambiance can change dramatically from this relatively calm period to more chaotic after school hours or early evenings and game days in the late spring and summer.  With that observation in mind, I’ll try to be more diligent and update posts if I visit at other hours and notice big changes.